Commerce curriculum enhances a worldclass degree with strong graduate employability
While a university degree showcases a graduate who is motivated, invested and technically-skilled, when it comes to 21st century employment there’s growing demand for graduates who are also creative, innovative, flexible and savvy.
Associate Professor Dr Kerrie Bridson (Deakin University, Australia) says that with changing employment market cycles, the emergence of new industries, and the decline of traditional roles and careers, graduates need to prepare to be ‘career chameleons’ across their working lives.
‘Students need to be employment resilient and prepared to re-position themselves to different roles and incareer areas not yet thought of. They need to be nimble and agile and curate evidence of employability – perhaps not just as an accountant,financial advisor or marketer but as aglobal business professional.’
As Director of Undergraduate Programs in the Deakin Business School ( DBS), Dr Bridson says that to address this demand, a newsweep of minor sequences – such as marketing, business analytics, contemporary accounting, global studies and social entrepreneurship – has now been included in Deakin’s Bachelor of Commerce program.
‘ From 2018, we’ve introduced 15 new minors whichprovide an important complement to a graduate’s technical skills and add layers of expertise from a broader scope of social sciences and arts.We’ve also embedded a scaffolded career education into the curriculum which develops work-readiness skills for our graduates.’
Spanning each year of the Bachelor of Commerce, this specialised career education includes a breadth of essential preparatory skills including exploration and planning, job market understanding, work-integrated learning, digital literacy and career development.
Dr Bridson says that by offering a broader choice of minor sequences in the curriculum, Deakin commerce students now have the opportunity to strategically plan for a range of emerging global careers.
‘Instead of simply offering our students eight core units with eight spare electives, we are now guiding them in career-aligned elective choices in groups of specialisations that are highly valued by employers.’
Deakin University is ranked third in Australia for graduate employability with DBS accredited by AACSB International. This accreditation is awarded to business schools that meet strict standards of quality, academic and professional excellence. Only five per cent of business programs worldwide are AACSB accredited and DBS is one of only three in Victoria.
For DBS students, the chance of securing their dream career begins on campus with Deakin boasting strong industry partner- ships that provide key insights, links and opportunities into leading, real-world, industry experience.
‘We offer a wide range of experiential opportunities including internships and international experiences to ensure our graduates are professionally ready. Our students not only leave with strong adaptable, interpersonal skills but also meaningful connections and experiences across local and even international networks,’ says Dr Bridson.
Originally from Colombo –and a graduate of Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia – Deakin commerce graduate Devinda Gunawardena incorporated business analytics into his degree (before going on to complete a Master of Business Analytics)and also took part in a USA accounting study tour.
‘I visited major companies – such as IBM, General Electric, PWC,MasterCard Global and Pepsi – across Los Angeles, Washington DC and New York. I gained an in-depth understanding of international accounting standards which has also helped me understand global work environment and cultures.’
Dr Bridson says that the expansion of Deakin’s commerce curriculum enhances a world- class degreewith strong graduate employability.
‘It focuses on the need for graduates who can keep pace with creative, contemporary work environments, globalisation and the challenges of digital transformation.’